Veteran metal vocalist Rob Halford, frontman of Judas Priest, recently spoke with Los Angeles Times En Español about the band’s diverse fanbase and the importance of civil discourse.
Halford, who publicly came out as gay in 1998, acknowledged the presence of conservative viewpoints within the metal community. “It’s very true that the metal world has a lot of conservative fans,” he said. “I accept it, but I don’t quite understand it.”
Despite ideological differences, Halford emphasizes the unifying power of music. He recounted a recent concert experience: “When I look at all these people, I know for a fact there’s a complete spectrum of people from all walks of life… Some people have got there in a beat-up old truck, some people have driven their Ferrari, but we’re all in the room together, we’re all banging our heads together, and we’re all having the time of our lives together.”
Halford lamented the current state of political discourse, where disagreement often devolves into hostility. “There’s so much hate and there is so much violence between ideas,” he observed. He expressed a longing for “sane, intelligent people having a conversation about an idea or a subject matter that are at odds with each other, but they’re civil.”
The interview also touched on the enduring influence of music. “This is the power that music has, whether it’s to give people the greatest night out of their lives or to start a revolution,” Halford said.
Halford concluded by reiterating his appreciation for the metal community’s inclusivity. “There are differences on all different levels,” he said, “but for that particular show, we’re united as one people for the love that we have for this kind of music.”
